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Catoctin Mountain Park Reschedules Deer Management

Catoctin Mountain Park deer management operations have been rescheduled to include
January 12-15, February 2-5, and February 23-26. Deer management operations that were
previously scheduled for mid-December were cancelled due to adverse weather
conditions including fog and ice. Fog
reduces visibility, making deer more difficult to detect and ice limits access
to much of the park. Both would have
made removal efforts less efficient. The
rescheduled dates were chosen based on the expectation that adverse weather
will continue into February and will allow schedule flexibility so Biologists
can remove deer as efficiently as possible.

The
purpose of the herd reduction is to support forest regeneration and provide for
the long-term protection, conservation and restoration of native species and
cultural landscapes.The consumption of
vegetation by the overpopulated deer herd has negatively impacted other
wildlife species habitat, and park neighbors.

National Park Service staff have been working this year since late
November to carry out the herd reduction as a safe
and humane operation. This included using highly experienced personnel familiar with the
park's geography, establishing safety zones, shooting from elevated positions
with a safe backdrop, conducting population reduction actions in closed areas
of the park, and utilizing non-lead ammunition. So far this season, 3,700
pounds of meat from culled deer have been donated to the Maryland and
Thurmont Food Banks, including pantries in Frederick County.

Catoctin Mountain
Park is one of over 400 units administered by the National Park Service, U.S.
Department of the Interior. Correspondence should be addressed to:
Superintendent, Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont, MD 21788. Please visit the Catoctin Mountain Park website at www.nps.gov/cato for more information. General information can be obtained by calling
the Visitor Center at (301) 663-9388. The Park Visitor Center is open daily (except Wednesday) from 10:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Emergency calls should
be directed to the National Capital Region Communications Center at
1-866-677-6677.

CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK

AREA CLOSURES FOR DEER REDUCTION

Jan 12-15,
2015

Closed
Daily

Except 6:00
am to 1pm

Feb 2-5,
2015

Closed
Daily

Except 6:00
am to 1pm

Feb. 23-26,
2015

Closed
Daily

Except 6:00
am to 1pm

Area A

The western portion of the Park, west of Foxville-Deerfield Road to
the Park boundary including the Adirondack Shelters and Horse Trail and Owens
Creek Campground.

X

X

X

Area B

East of Foxville-Deerfield Road, including Poplar Grove, to the
north boundary, excluding Chestnut Picnic Area.Park Central Road, west of Manahan Road, is
closed for the winter.

X

X

X

Area C

Camp Misty Mount, the area east of the Hog Rock Nature Trail, west
of Park Central Road and North of Falls Nature Trail, including Blue Blazes
Whiskey Still Trail.Park Central Road
east of Hog Rock is closed for the winter.

X

X

X

Area D

Park Central Road north and east to the Park boundary, including
Wolf Rock and Chimney Rock.

X

X

X

Area E

The northern portion of the Park just south of Buck Lantz Road.

X

X

X

Area F

South of Park Central Road to the southern park boundary, between
Manahan Road and Hog Rock Nature Trail.